I just want to know: What's the best MP2 encoder?
MainConcept MP2, TwoLAME, TooLAME, QDesign MP2...?
Best MP3 encoder: LAME.
Best AAC encoder: Nero AAC.
Best MP2 encoder:

Well, it's hard to say which is the best, but if I'd ever need one, I'll use twoLAME.

Thank you.
Do you know what xperts recommend?

twolame is a great encoder. i can't think of a reason to not use it.

i use twolame @ 384 kbps CBR when making custom DVD's with music. i trust it more than aften/ffmpeg AC3 for music - but for film soundtracks i just use AC3 @ 448 5.1ch.


later

I don't know of any listening tests.

For high bitrate, it's difficult to hear any difference on most content. I find toolame -p2 192kbps discrete stereo to be good.

Throw the EBU harpsichord test track at an mp2 encoder at low bitrates to hear typical problems. Track 40:

http://sound.media.mit.edu/mpeg4/audio/sqam/

Cheers,
David.

What about new listening test @: low, mid & high bitrates?

low bitrates are uninteresting with MP2 and it's not clear what medium bitrates would be.

Finally, high bitrates are uninteresting too, since you risk evaluating problem samples instead of general performance.

perhaps you know of several listening tests we don't, JAZ?

there isn't - from what i can see - a consensus on MP2 quality (especially in regards to toolame/twolame)

my experience:
* (two) vbr is a hack. only for testing.
* (two) psymodel 4 enhances psymodel 2
* psymodel 2 is better than psymodel 1
* use CBR
* no psymodel = crap
* decent bitrates should be >= 192 (default)
* high bitrates are >= 256
* >= decent bitrates should be in stereo
* low bitrates are < 192
* low bitrates should be in joint stereo (IS)

i agree that low bitrate mp2 isn't interesting or usable, but high bitrates ARE interesting... and probably recommended.

when i use mp2 i use twolame (-P 4 -m s -b 384) ...it is usually for homemade DVD projects and i don't need to worry about size, so 384 it is.


later

Thank you guys...
We want to develop new MP2 plug-in for Adobe Audition.
What encoder do you recommend?

TBH, Too-, or Two-Lame, it probably makes little difference. IIRC, the major difference is that Twolame has a proper library, so I'd probably pick that. Sound-wise, at the same bitrates I suspect there's next to no discernible difference.

useless. You already know that MP2 is not competitive with newer codecs in the mid/low bitrate area, starting with 192 kbps you get good quality, starting with 256 kbps it should even be better than MP3.



twoLame.

I may have been a bit too general.
As you pointed out, low bitrates (in terms of quality) are quite high, compared to what other codecs offer. I then wanted to state that at higher bitrates (like 256 and above), the codec starts to have enough bits to encode most content, so there won't be many problem samples.

Then so, most other codecs can, aswell.

Thanks...
Guys... did you try Main Concept MP2 encoder?

Regarding MP2 plugin for Audition.

Those who produce programs for Public Radio have to use an MP2 conversion that must be formatted in a very certain way.

The following web page shows the PRSS (Public Radio Satellite System -- part of NPR) particulars required for Public Radio acceptable MP2 audio files -- and the chart on this link shows both free and paid plug-in or stand-alone programs that meet the Public Radio standard.

The PRSS chart for MP2 particulars is at:

http://www.wpr.org/tech/mp2/PRSS-MP2-Testing-3.htm

The chart shows some acceptable ''paid'' and ''free'' plug-ins or stand-alone programs (but one of the free ones -- the one produced by PRX -- produces a faulty display length not true to the actual length of the audio in the file (off by about four seconds per hour).

If someone develops a program that displays the audio length like the PRX one -- but is accurate -- and has all the required particulars set to the PRSS standards in the above link and is free like the PRX one or not too expensive, I would be interested to know about it.

Regards -
Stephen
SLG (at) PRWW.org

Some of the particulars referenced in the chart are as follows:

(padding must be off, root file cannot be renamed, 256kbps, J-stereo, no options checked except ''allow no padding,'' VBR=none, no normalize and no preserve ID tags, etc.).

Be sure that it can follow the particulars required by Public Radio's ContentDepot and NPR and PRSS and PRWW and PRX, pursuant to the following public radio standards:

http://www.prss.org/contentdepot/encoding.cfm



PS: It would be good if it could force a true and correct read-out of the length of the audio. The properties function in Windows shows the length to be about four seconds per hour shorter than the actual playing length of the audio in an MP2 file. The Public Radio Exchange (PRX) has their read-out set to the same bitrate/sample ratio that Windows is using and thus, they too produce an inaccurate read-out that causes frustration to Public Radio Program Directors. So, if a resolve of this could be accomplished, that would be great. Awave-Audio is the only software that I know of that can render an accurate read-out length for MP2 formatted files. But their ability to read-it-out correctly does little good against the Windows or PRX problem. The encoded MP2 files produced by Awave Audio uses the same TooLame codec (even the updated TooLameF does not correct the problem of length read out described here) and Awave Audio's MP2 files also read out in incorrect lengths in Windows and on the PRX public radio system.

- S

Can you provide a fix for that?

PS: I am using MPE.FLT (encoder) + MPG.FLT (decoder) + MPEG.DAT (makes the encoder and decoder work in Cool Edit/Audition -- using them in versions 1.5 and 3.0, and encoder makes great sound files (have not tried decoder as I do not usually bring in an MP2, I just save them out)).

PROBLEM: I want to upload some files on to NPR's Content Depot/PRSS but they require that MP2 files contain no PADDING. The MPE.FLT encoder turns on PADDING and provides no option for turning it off. Can you provide a fix to this MPE.FLT encoder that will provide the padding off option -- or reset the default to OFF ???

I will be very grateful if you will let me know of fixes for this (or how I can modify it). Stephen SLG (at) PRWW (dot) org

QDesign is horrible.
dBpowerAMP is good.
MainConcept is mediocre.
& IDK about other encoders.

Please tell me where I can get the TwoLAME.dll (one that is already made into .dll and that works good).

SLG (at) PRWW (dot) org

twoLame 0.3.12b Release

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